Scripture: James 2:1-10

It was the summer between second and third grade.  Dad was in the hospital . . . again.  Mom was working nights as a charge nurse, taking care of four children during the day, and spending the evenings with Dad.  Needless to say, she was exhausted.  So when my brother, Keith, and I began squabbling and picking at each other it was the proverbial last straw! 

Now Mom seldom yelled or threatened.  She was more of a direct action sort of person.  So, one day she came home from work carrying a book that, at least to us, looked about the size of a dictionary.  She handed it to my brother and declared that our summer project was to read it . . . together.  And, oh by the way, anytime we were caught arguing over it, we would have to re-read the entire book.

At first it seemed like cruel and unusual punishment.  After a few chapters, however, we were actually sneaking off together so we could read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.  It wasn’t long before that book took on a life force all its own.  Keith was Tom leaving me to be Huck. We were forever on the look-out for an Injun Joe or a Becky Thatcher who needed either our help or our rescuing.  Why we even had our own deserted island picked out just in case we needed to make a quick get-a-way!

Looking back, I can’t help but wonder if Mom had any idea the impact that book would have on my life.  For almost every novel Mark Twain wrote and almost every story he told addressed a social problem such as bigotry, racism, or the plight of the poor.  As a matter of fact, he became so disillusioned with the churches apparent unwillingness to address these issues, he finally abandoned organized religion all together.  So, when his work came under the close scrutiny of certain faith communities, Twain responded that it wasn’t what he didn’t understand in the Bible that bothered him, it was, instead, what he understood full well that disturbed him most.

Maybe that is why there is such reluctance among many main line churches to discuss the passage from today’s Epistle lesson.  For you see, James is introducing us to a group that is the equivalent of our modern middle class.  According to The Rev. Dr. Trace Haythorn, these folk are not the rich – the rich are those whose attention they are trying to get.  They are not the poor – the poor are those they are ignoring.  They are somewhere in between, a kind of bell-curve group that represent the broad middle.  In other words, they are people like most of us.  (“Standing in the Tragic Gap”; www.day1.org, September 6, 2009)

And that is what bothers us about this passage!  We understand the privilege and prestige that comes with wealth.  We also know that for the church, or any social service organization, to survive it requires those larger gifts that only the wealthy can make. If that means schmoozing a little and making a few minor concessions . . . so be it!  Besides, according to the world’s standards, all of us sitting here today are rich and we know the struggles we have in making ends meet!

So, is James being unduly harsh on those who have worked hard and invested wisely?  Of course not!  As a matter of fact, his discontentment lies with those who have chosen to associate with the rich at the expense of the poor.

The Rev. Dr. Haythorn, whom I quoted earlier, is President of an organization called The Fund for Theological Education.  This particular foundation sponsors 14 different programs that offer young people an opportunity to serve one year in a missionary-type setting.  In a recent gathering, one young lady told him how she was raised in an upper-middle class home where success was always measured, at least in part, by financial success.  So living on her $100 a month stipend had not only been a financial challenge, it had also forced her to “un-learn” many of the assumptions she had been raised with concerning the poor.  As a matter of fact, after the first few months in the program, she became really angry about all the wealth in this country that co-exists with the persistent problem of homelessness, hunger, and poverty.  In time, however, she began to understand that she would never have known about these things if she had not volunteered a years service to a program that addresses the needs of those who live in poverty.  She now realizes the greatest gift she received is the ability to move between the rich and the poor.  While the rich tend to have many temptations, the poor tend to live with the challenges.  And it is when the two groups are brought together – when they invest the time necessary to establish relationships built on mutual trust, respect, and love – true change occurs.

 In the end, isn’t that exactly what Christ did for us?  He forfeited his life to bridge the gap so you and I could live as one with each other and with him.  Since he did it for us, isn’t time we do it for others?